Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39302094›Full record

SynthesisKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2025

Virtual reality-based therapy after anterior cruciate ligament injury effectively reduces pain and improves knee function, movement patterns, and dynamic balance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Irene Cortés-Pérez, Jose María Desdentado-Guillem, María Soledad Camacho-Delgado, María Del Rocío Ibancos-Losada, Esteban Obrero-Gaitán, Rafael Lomas-Vega

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Irene Cortés-PérezDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1876-1399
Jose María Desdentado-GuillemDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.
María Soledad Camacho-DelgadoDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.
María Del Rocío Ibancos-LosadaDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6233-1786
Esteban Obrero-GaitánDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8430-5500
Rafael Lomas-VegaDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2546-6301

Funding

None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeVirtual reality-based therapy (VRBT) may be an effective physical therapy complement employed in the rehabilitation of patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of VRBT in improving pain, knee function, strength, proprioception, flexion range of motion (ROM), and dynamic balance after ACL injury.

methodsWe conducted this systematic review with meta-analysis following PRISMA criteria. Since inception to June 2024, we searched in PubMed Medline, WOS, SCOPUS, CINAHL and PEDro without publication date and language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), comprising only patients with ACL injury, that assess the effectiveness of VRBT compared to classical interventions on the outcomes of interest were included. PEDro scale was employed to analyze the methodological quality of the RCTs included. Cohen's standardised mean difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to calculate the pooled effect in meta-analyses.

resultsNine RCTs, providing data from 330 participants (26.96 ± 3.11 years, 85% males) were included. The RCTs included showed good methodological quality (PEDro scale = 6.88 points), being, performance and detection biases, the most common biases reported. Meta-analyses showed that VRBT was more effective than classical interventions in reducing pain (SMD = -1.15; 95% CI -1.85 to -0.45; p = 0.001; I

conclusionVRBT is an effective physical therapy complement to be included in the ACL's rehabilitation programmes due to reduces pain and increases knee function, strength, ROM and dynamic balance after ACL injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Indexed as

Anterior Cruciate Ligament InjuriesKnee JointVirtual Reality Exposure TherapyHumansPostural BalanceProprioceptionRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRange of Motion, Articularanterior cruciate ligament injuriesmuscle strengthmusculoskeletal painpostural balancerehabilitationvirtual reality exposure therapy

Identifiers

PMID39302094
PMCPMC12022836

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.